Supporting the goals and ideals of National Long-Term Care Residents' Rights Week and recognizing the importance to the Nation of residents of long-term care facilities, including senior citizens and individuals living with disabilities.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 702) honoring former President Gerald R. Ford on the occasion of his 91st birthday and extending the best wishes of the House of Representatives to former President Ford and his family.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

It is certainly a true pleasure today to rise in support of House Resolution 702. This is a resolution that wishes former President Gerald R. Ford a wonderfully happy 91st birthday on behalf

of the House of Representatives. President Ford certainly holds a unique place in American history. Within a 1-year period during the very destructive Watergate scandal, he held the positions of House minority leader, of Vice President, and President because he was such a respected national leader of unquestioned integrity and principle.

Mr. Speaker, Gerald Rudolph Ford was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on July 14, 1913; and then he moved to Grand Rapids in the great State of Michigan shortly after his birth. He was always an exceptional student and athlete and was very active in extracurricular activities, even attaining the rank of Eagle Scout.

President Ford attended the University of Michigan to study economics and political science; and as a member of the U of M's football team, he won two national championships in 1932 and 1933. In 1934, he was named the team's most valuable player.

Rejecting offers to play professional football with either the Detroit Lions or the Green Bay Packers, Gerald Ford took a job at Yale University as a boxing coach and an assistant football coach, and he received his law degree then at Yale in 1941.

The war was on, and he joined the U.S. Naval Reserve during the war; and then he returned to Grand Rapids after the war, in 1946, to work as a lawyer. In 1948, he defeated the incumbent United States Representative in that district in the primary election and then won the general election by a very wide margin.

Mr. Speaker, Gerald Ford was a Member of this body from 1949 to 1973 and he served as House minority leader from 1965 to 1973.

In the Congress, Ford was an ardent proponent of strong national defense, and he realized the important role that the United States played in the global theater.

In October of 1973, as the Watergate scandal gradually unfolded, President Richard Nixon nominated Ford to succeed Spiro Agnew as Vice President of the United States. Ford became Vice President on December 6, 1973, and, in doing so, he also became the first Vice President to be appointed under the procedures of the 25th amendment.

Mr. Speaker, Gerald Ford's vice presidential tenure lasted less than a year. When Nixon resigned due to continued revelations of Watergate, Ford became President on August 9, 1974. In a move he deemed the best for the sake of the Nation, he issued a complete pardon to Nixon in an effort to end what he categorized as the Nation's long nightmare.

During his inauguration speech, President Carter paid immediate tribute to President Ford's role in helping America through such a difficult period saying, ``For myself and for our Nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land.''

On April 20, 1995, President Ford's boyhood home in Grand Rapids was designated as an historic site. I bring that up, Mr. Speaker, because at the time I was the Michigan Secretary of State, and one of my duties and responsibilities was serving as Michigan's official historian.

Certainly one of my fondest memories was hosting the President and his wonderful wife, his very gracious wife, Betty Ford, for the home's dedication. There was a huge crowd of family and friends and neighbors, and the President was standing on the front porch of his home telling everybody about some of his fond remembrances of living in that home in Grand Rapids and how he used to play baseball out in front of the house.

Gerald Ford is an extraordinary man and yet he grew up in an ordinary neighborhood, just like thousands of other neighborhoods all across our Nation. President Ford and his great accomplishments epitomize the greatness the American spirit, and I was truly honored to stand next to a living piece of American history that day.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from the great State of Michigan, the dean of the House of Representatives, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) for introducing this highly deserved tribute to our 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford. Our entire Nation thanks him for his service, and we wish him a very happy 91st birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly urge all Members to support the adoption of House Resolution 772, that extends 91st birthday wishes to President Gerald Ford.

Mr. Speaker, happy birthday to a great American, President Gerald R. Ford.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my distinguished friend and colleague for yielding me time. I commend him for handling this legislation, as I do the gentlewoman from Michigan, who has done such a fine job of presenting the case for this legislation.

Today, we honor and congratulate a former President of the United States on his 91st birthday, and we extend to him and to his wife the best wishes of this body on this 91st birthday which he is celebrating Wednesday.

We are proud of his service, not only in this body, but elsewhere. He will be 91, as I mentioned, on July 14, which is Wednesday. He is married to a distinguished lady, Elizabeth ``Betty'' Ford, who is much loved in this body and much loved elsewhere.

He attended the University of Michigan, Yale University Law School, served with distinction in the United States Navy in the Philippines during World War II. He served in the House of Representatives for 25 years and was appointed to and served with distinction on the Warren Commission by President Johnson.

He was minority leader of this body from 1965 to 1973 and Vice President from 1973 through 1974. He was sworn in as President on August 9, 1974, and served in this great capacity for 2 years.

The thing which I think we can best remember about Gerry Ford is not all of the distinguished actions which he took or the high offices which he held but, rather, the fact that in a very difficult time he brought this country together out of a period of ill will and misfortune, which I think is almost unique in the history of this country. With that healing leadership, he will be long remembered for what he has done for us. The University of Michigan School of Public Policy is named after him, and he is much loved also in our State.

I want to commend and thank my colleagues who have joined in the cosponsorship of this legislation: the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Bono), who is at this time his Congresswoman; the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra); the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Kilpatrick); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin); the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Smith); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Camp); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. McCotter); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers); and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak).

We from the Michigan delegation have unanimously suggested that this is a good resolution for this body to adopt. We celebrate the accomplishments, the great humanity and decency of a wonderful citizen of our State and of the United States who served with distinction in the Presidency and in many other offices, and we do at this time wish him, through this resolution and in other ways, the best wishes of this body, of the House of Representatives and of all of us individually, and those many other American citizens who have had fine reason to love a great American who still serves his country with distinction.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with the gentlewoman from Michigan in consideration of this resolution, and it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the author of this resolution and one of the most distinguished and longest-serving Members of this body, the dean of the institution and the ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with my colleagues today to pay tribute to former President Gerald Ford on the occasion of his 91st birthday and to thank him for his service to our Nation. President Ford assumed the office of President under difficult circumstances and guided us with strength and steadiness that helped us to regain confidence that we had lost in our Nation's most important office.

Looking back on President Ford's life, it is easy to see that he would distinguish himself as a leader. At the University of Michigan, he excelled both at his studies and at football. He received a law degree from Yale University. When duty called, he enlisted in the Navy, where he earned the rank of lieutenant commander during World War II.

Following the war, President Ford returned to his home State of Michigan and was elected to the House of Representatives for his first of 13 terms. An innate ability to lead helped President Ford rise quickly through the ranks of Congress. He was soon assigned to the influential Committee on Appropriations and rose to became the ranking Republican on the Subcommittee on Defense of the Committee on Appropriations.

In 1972, Gerald Ford was nominated as Vice President. He became President in 1974, following the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Faced with many challenges when he took office, President Ford worked to repair the damaged relationship between the American people and its government and the image of America with the rest of the world.

Two of his historic accomplishments were bringing an end to the Vietnam War and facilitating improved relations between Egypt and Israel. Improved relations between Israel and Egypt would lead to a peace pact between the two rival nations, an unprecedented step towards peace in the region.

On his inauguration day President Jimmy Carter began his speech by saying, ``For myself and for our Nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land.''

While we all may not agree with all of the decisions President Ford made during his political career, we can all concur that he carried himself with dignity at a time when our Nation needed it most.

Mr. Speaker, I again want to thank President Ford for his service. I commend the gentleman from Michigan for introducing this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 772, which recognizes the importance of residents of long-term care facilities to the Nation, including senior citizens and individuals living with disabilities. This resolution calls for the week beginning October 3, 2004 to be celebrated as National Long-Term Care Residents' Rights Week.

We should do all that we can to help senior citizens and individuals living with disabilities maintain their rights and dignity in their daily lives as they strive to participate in the community and make meaningful contributions to our society. Helping them achieve their goals and dreams, and empowering them with the resources they need to lead rewarding lives depend on making sure their rights and benefits are preserved and strengthened. The objectives set forth under this resolution are consistent with these laudable goals.

Our nation's elderly include approximately 1.7 million who are living in 17,000 nursing homes and 1 million living in 46,000 assisted living facilities in the United States. About 160,000 people younger than 65 years of age live in the Nation's nursing homes. These numbers show the elderly and disabled constitute growing significant segments of our population and that we should recognize their specific needs and challenges and how to best serve their interests. I encourage my colleagues, therefore, to support the goals and ideals of National Long-Term Care Residents' Rights Week, and I welcome the participation of long-term care advocates as we strive to help those in such facilities lead productive and rewarding lives.

My commitment to our seniors in long-term care facilities and who are cared for by their families is why I introduced ``The Elder Justice Act'' (H.R. 2490). This bill will elevate problems associated with abuse against seniors to national attention by consolidating existing government functions dealing with the problem in several different federal agencies under a new Elder Justice Office within the Department of Health and Human Services. My legislation will also help States and local agencies combat neglect and exploitation--whether it is physical, psychological or financial--such as assisting victims and at-risk seniors through ``safe havens'' and supporting local and state prosecution of abuse perpetrated against the elderly.

Mr. Speaker, we should fulfill our commitment to seniors and disabled Americans. And we must ensure that resolutions like these move forward to demonstrate our obligations to those who need our help. I thank the gentleman from California, Mr. Waxman, for introducing this important resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support passage of H. Res. 772.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, almost 1.7 million Americans live in a long-term care facility somewhere in the United States. With improvements in medicine and the aging of the baby boomer generation, that number is likely to increase. Therefore, it is important that we take the steps necessary to secure the safety, dignity and happiness of our senior citizens.

In 1987, the Federal Nursing Home Reform Act was created as an important first step towards protecting the rights of senior citizens. The act guaranteed seniors the right to self-determination, to be treated with dignity and the right to voice grievances without reprisal. However, much more can be done to educate seniors about their rights.

Creating a National Long-Term Care Residents Rights' Week is a step in the right direction. One week each year, Americans will be educated about long-term care facilities and the quality of care and the quality of life that our seniors deserve.

Our seniors are a national treasure that should be valued and treated with the utmost respect. There is no question that we are a stronger, safer and more prosperous nation because of the hard work and sacrifices made by the generations that have come before us.

We are without doubt in their debt. I support the goals and ideals of National Long Term Care Residents' Rights Week, and I encourage the President to issue a proclamation that calls upon the people of the United States to observe National Long Term Care Residents' Rights Week beginning October 3.

We also need to seriously look at what is being done about the pay of individuals who work in nursing homes and especially those at the lower levels. Even as I speak today, I think of my father who is 93 years old and who is probably breathing out his last breath in a facility today, so I have a great deal of concern for those individuals who work in these facilities and who often times are paid wages that are not commensurate with the importance of the work that they do.

I also would like to express appreciation to the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) for his leadership on this important piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.